Wiggle Room

Must have been a slow news day at the Newport Daily News (Newport, Rhode Island)
for 26 Jan 1966, Wed Page 22.



I assume everyone can picture Ann-Margret, Marlo Thomas and Ursula Andress. But for your benefit, here is wiggler Diane Cilento, Mrs. Sean Connery.

Posted By: Paul - Tue Mar 22, 2022 - Comments (1)
Category: Medicine, Sexuality, Studies, Reports, White Papers, Investigations, 1960s, Women

Beatniks Against Polio

What was the secret ingredient that made the rollout of the polio vaccine go so smoothly? Beatniks! If only we had some around today...

Article source: Nashville Banner (Nashville, Tennessee) 16 Aug 1956, Thu Page 13

Posted By: Paul - Wed Nov 10, 2021 - Comments (0)
Category: Medicine, Bohemians, Beatniks, Hippies and Slackers, 1950s

Advice for Doctors, 1948

Posted By: Paul - Tue Sep 28, 2021 - Comments (2)
Category: Medicine, Smoking and Tobacco, 1940s

People Catchers

People Catchers = Fishing lures excised from impaled anglers.

Displays of them are on view at several hospitals in Wisconsin. More info: Catholic Health World

image source: reddit

Posted By: Alex - Tue Aug 03, 2021 - Comments (0)
Category: Medicine, Sports

The Penile Plethysmograph

I had to post this item today, to accompany Alex's "pot-sex" post, only because how often does one get to use the great word "plethysmograph?"

Posted By: Paul - Sat Jul 31, 2021 - Comments (1)
Category: Medicine, Science, Sexuality, Technology, Genitals

Dr. Somers’ Cocaine Cure for Arthritis

Back in the late 1970s, Dr. Lowell Somers, chief of staff at Redbud Community Hospital, made headlines by claiming to have discovered that cocaine could cure arthritis. Somers explained that he discovered this by observing his identical twin cousins, Chuck and Rick. Chuck had arthritis, but Rick didn't. And Rick was a cocaine user, while Chuck wasn't.

Somers said he had successfully treated a dozen rheumatoid patients with cocaine. His procedure:

Santa Rosa Press Democrat - Apr 13, 1979

It didn't take long for authorities to shut him down, which they did by charging that he was addicted to demerol and cocaine, and revoking his medical license. I guess he was taking the cure himself. Some info from The Oklahoman:


This sidestepped the issue of whether he may actually have been right about the medical benefit of cocaine for people with arthritis. It doesn't seem entirely implausible to me.

However, some googling pulls up an article suggesting that cocaine use may actually cause rheumatologic conditions. Although the authors admit they're not sure if the cocaine is the culprit, or the contaminants in the cocaine.

On the other hand, there's quite a bit of literature about the potential medical benefits of coca leaves, which people have been consuming in South America for thousands of years. Although coca leaves are a far cry from the pure cocaine Somers was using.

Santa Rosa Press Democrat - Apr 13, 1979

Posted By: Alex - Thu Jul 15, 2021 - Comments (0)
Category: Drugs, Health, Medicine, 1970s

The Philadelphia Resurrectionists

Jefferson Medical College is still extant. Not sure if their literature highlights this incident.

Source: The Boston Weekly Globe (Boston, Massachusetts) 19 Dec 1882, Tue Page 5

Posted By: Paul - Tue Jun 08, 2021 - Comments (8)
Category: Crime, Death, Education, Medicine, Cemeteries, Graveyards, Crypts, Mortuaries and Other Funereal Pursuits, Nineteenth Century

The Twilight Sleep Association

Rendering a pregnant woman unconscious in the delivery room is pretty much frowned upon nowadays, except for emergencies. But at one point, it was regarded as the newest sophistication of the birthing process.

Article from 1915 here.

Modern essay here.



Source.

Posted By: Paul - Thu Apr 15, 2021 - Comments (0)
Category: Babies, Medicine, Twentieth Century

Trampling Treatment

1983: Dr. Huang Xianjian's 'trampling treatment' for lumbago sufferers consisted of "climbing on top of the bed and jumping up and down on their backs."

It reminds me of the "impact therapy" we posted about a while back which involved hitting patients with 20-pound sandbags.

Bangor Daily News - Oct 13, 1983

Posted By: Alex - Fri Mar 26, 2021 - Comments (4)
Category: Medicine, 1980s

Cefacidal Promotional Playing Cards

Almost the whole set is here.

Posted By: Paul - Wed Feb 24, 2021 - Comments (0)
Category: Games, Medicine, Advertising, 1970s, South America